Perez is the most intriguing player considered for this entire exercise. His favorite position is shortstop. 23 players age 22 or younger have put up a 125 OPS+ since 2000, more than the previous three decades combined (20). Ken Griffey Jr., CF: 19 years, 133 days in 1989 (Mariners)Griffey's first Opening Day start was also his Major League debut. Twins: Rich Garces, RHP, 1990 El Guapo! Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball writer for FOX Sports. There's already a Grand Canyon-sized gap between their college production, and their measurables should be miles apart, too, making for . Making his Major League debut as a reliever on September 24, 1919, Lefty Weinert got shelled, allowing 11 hits and nine runs in four innings. He played most of 1945 in the minors before being drafted into military service for the majority of 1946. But Im doing my due diligence and mentioning them anyway. Full-year historical Major League statistics provided by Pete Palmer and Gary Gillette of Hidden Game Sports. He would play three more seasons in the minor leagues before retiring from baseball in 1960. Grifol will then turn to Lucas Giolito Sunday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. As time has gone on, the teenage debut has become rarer, which makes Harper's ascendance all the more remarkable. Kenny Kelly: 21 years, 225 daysDebut: Sept. 7, 2000. Follow. You might have noticed a theme above: All the earliest debuts took place before the team dropped the Devil and became the Rays. Throughout his career, Ott played for the New York Giants. Entering the 2023 campaign, Franco will turn 22 years old. Earning his debut on June 10, 1944 the 15-year-old Nuxhall became the youngest player ever to appear in a Major League game. Playing 16 seasons with the Phillies, he took part in the Whiz Kids squad of 1950, and was named an NL All-Star three times in his career. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. But despite the accomplishment, McKee would never see action. While 19-year-olds are regularly the youngest age an MLB player can make his debut, it has been rare to see anyone younger showcase his talent on the . On July 19, 1936 when a 17-year-old Bob Feller was handed his first appearance at the big league level, most had no idea that the less-than physically imposing teenager was about to embark upon a legendary career marked by two decades of pitching dominance. I know, I don't really get the significance of the helmet toss either, but it's possible that it was out of sheer frustration due to the fact that it's nearly impossible to find a picture of a man who pitched one time for the Dodgers in 1944. Medical issues limited him after that, although he was part of the Rays worst-to-first turnaround in 2008 and finished his playing career with the team in 10. . OK, maybe thats a bit much. The following year, he received MVP votes for the first of what would be six times. Michael Vick holds the record since 2000 with a 4.33 time. Crawford went on to become one of the Rays most accomplished players. Alex George made his MLB debut at age 16 on September 16, 1955 for the Kansas City Athletics. Uras was promoted to the Los Angeles Dodgers to make his major league debut against the New York Mets on May 27, 2016. He also leads MLB in hits through Tuesdays games, with 11 yes, even ahead of the great Steven Kwan (who is three-and-a-half years older than Franco). Marin made his MLB debut in September of 2016 and has appeared in 36 games for the Orioles over the past two seasons. He spent 11 years with the Philadelphia Athletics before ending his career with the St. Louis Cardinals. At 17 years old, McKee remains to be the youngest MLB player to accomplish a nine-inning complete-game victory in the season ender. Despite the abbreviated nature of his early debut, Nuxhall then turned his second opportunity into a successful 16-year career in the big leagues. But in 2009, the Society for American Baseball Research discovered that Chapman's first name and age were both incorrect. Wander Franco was the youngest player in the MLB in both 2021 and 2022. He led the NL in home runs six times, topped 100 RBI nine times and was named to 11 All-Star teams in his career. In this photo, current Los Angeles Dodger Andre Ethier tosses his helmet in a touching tribute to former Brooklyn Dodger Charlie Osgood. Kaline wound up being selected an all-star a staggering 18 times, won one World Series in 1968, and stuck around as a TV commentator for the team after his career ended. FIFA World Cup - Best Goals from Every Angle, Draw for the FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023. He hit ninth in a Brewers loss to the Red Sox. Another young player to make an early debut thanks to a large number of regular Major Leaguers serving in WWII, Carl Scheib first saw game action as a 16-year-old on September 6, 1943. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Staub started his career at a young age, and ended it after more than 2,900 games as a 41-year-old. Born on March 1, 2001, he was tagged as one of the best prospects in Major League Baseball. Both of these men had abbreviated playing careers, but exhibited promising leadership qualities. He was called up mainly due to a player shortage because of World War II, but in an age when teenagers were given a shot far more often, he still stood out at 15 years old. He was 40 years, 191 days old in his final game, on May 31, 2010. He would only appear in the big leagues four more times in his career, compiling a 1-0 record and a 5.87 ERA from late 1943-1944. The hard-throwing Philadelphia Phillies prospect's fastball touched 99 mph in his spring training debut against Minnesota on Wednesday. ?2001: Wander Franco2000: Elvis Luciano1999: Fernando Tatis Jr.1998: Juan Soto1997: Ozzie Albies1996: Julio Urias1995: Roberto Osuna1994: Rougned Odor1993: Jurickson Profar1992: Bryce Harper, (If youve never heard of Elvis Luciano, thats OK. While Jones didn't do much during the 1995 regular season, he took the World Series by storm. Aside from playing for the Dodgers, Palica also saw action for the Baltimore Orioles. He had a successful MLB career, pitching for a total of 16 seasons. Kaline went on to be an 18-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner and won a batting title, as well as a World Series. While he only played one game with the team in 1944, it was a less-than-ideal MLB debut. Having just turned 21 last month, Franco remains the youngest player in MLB despite having already posted a 43-game on-base streak and having already signed a $182 million contract extension.. MLB's current rules don't allow anyone younger than 17 to be on a big league roster. Not on a 40-man roster, but young prospects already in Double-A: Braves OF Michael Harris (3/7/01)Cardinals 1B Malcom Nunez (3/9/01)Rays RHP Taj Bradley (3/20/01)Yankees SS Anthony Volpe (4/28/01)White Sox SS Jose Rodriguez (5/13/01)Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson (6/29/01)Mets C Francisco Alvarez (11/19/01)Blue Jays SS Orelvis Martinez (11/19/01)Cardinals 3B Jordan Walker (5/22/02)Marlins RHP Eury Perez (4/15/03). Upon returning to baseball, he cemented a regular utility role with the Phillies, taking part in their storied "Whiz Kid" squad in 1950. Making his big league debut on April 27, 1926, Mel Ott struck out in his only pinch hit at bat of a 9-8 Giants victory over the Phillies. Scores from any date in Major League history, Minor, Foreign, College, & Black Baseball, Frequently Asked Questions about MLB and Baseball, Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREE. Offensively, Soderstrom and Hassell are the most advanced of this bunch and could hit their way to Double-A in a blink. He appeared in just 40 games in his career, hitting three home runs, all in 1947. Franco wont be the youngest player to debut in the Majors, of course. Though his career would end prematurely, Jimmie Foxx remains a legend of the game today. To become MLB's youngest, anyone on these lists born in September 2002 or later would have to not only jump several minor-league levels over the course of a single season but also get a call that only a select few have over the past decade. In the process, Caballero emerged as the youngest third baseman to play in the MLB. A typical Major League Baseball season lasts approximately one month and one half, and teams play 162 games. Theres a perfectly reasonable chance that Wander Franco will still be the youngest player in MLB on Opening Day 2023! After all, he is listed in the box score as appearing for Dodger catcher Mickey Owen, but Palica was a pitcher, so it's difficult to discern. After a stellar debut, Brown would go on to carve out a nine-year MLB career, which saw him suit up for the Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Chicago Cubs. Putsy made a handful of appearances over the final weeks of 1944. Ryan Weathers, LHP, Padres (age 21, DOB: Dec. 17, 1999) 1 overall prospecttwo years in a row, will play this entire season at the same age as your average college sophomore or junior. Yount hit his first home run on April 13 that year, and went on to hit three more as an 18-year-old. He still remains the youngest American Leaguer to play in baseball's modern era. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Wednesday, March 1, 11:02PM. While he has yet to establish himself as a regular starter at the big league level, Marin is widely considered to be a promising young talent and is expected . But would burn out by the time he was 24 years old. After that it forced Major Leaague Baseball to set age restrictions for international players who were not covered by the then current regulations. The stage hardly looked too big for pitcher Andrew Painter. Doerr played in just 55 games in 1937, but played in 100 or more in every season from 1938-51 except 1945, when he served in the military. Predicting when top 2023 prospects will make their MLB debuts. In addition to being the youngest person to ever play for the Yankees, Hanson is also the only person younger than 18 to appear in a game for them . I have been to 17 MLB stadiums including all five current venues in California 13 of which still exist (Milwaukee County Stadium, Metrodome, Busch Stadium II and Globe Life Park have since been replaced). The sixth overall pick in the 2000 Draft, Baldelli arrived with so much promise on Opening Day in 2003 after playing only 290 games in the Minors. (Bryce Harper hit 22 in 2012, as did Juan Soto in 2018.). All rights reserved. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. The Cincinnati Reds hold a unique record that will most certainly never be broken, as they fielded the youngest player in MLB history. Following the conclusion of the 1944 season, Osgood was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in that year's minor league draft, but never again reached the Major Leagues. Conigliaro went on to hit 24 home runs that season, which is still the mark for a teenager in a single season. During his brief stint with stardom, the Rangers averaged 27,000 fans during his home starts, and just 6,000 fans the rest of the time. But Volpe's star seems as ascendant as that of any player in the minors right now, so he could certainly force his way to the big leagues sooner rather than later. In 24 games for the Brewers in 1988, Sheffield hit four home runs and batted .238. Junior played in 127 games, hit .264 and smacked 16 home runs. Since then . For example, players such as Harris or Rodriguez might be more likely to get an emergency call-up, considering their ability to defend at a high level, than a player who is more bat-first. So one level down we go! Nationals star Juan Soto was the fifth-youngest player on any National League roster for Opening Day 2022. One of the greatest pitchers of all time, Feller didn't even play an inning of minor league ball. That's when top pick candidates Bryce Young (Alabama) and Anthony Richardson (Florida) will be measured and complete on-field workouts. The 40 -year -old MVP and the end of the race are previously extended in the last two decades of major league baseball.Today, there seems to be an influx of young people i. It is likely that Joe Nuxhall's place in the record books will remain safe for quite some time. Wheeler lost his debut, a 3-1 defeat against the Orioles, despite allowing only two runs over five innings. He made his debut in 1954, but struggled to catch on full-time for five seasons. "This is the only thing that's made having to. Nuxhall remains the youngest individual to play in a major league game in history. In fact, the last 18-year old to make his MLB debut was Alex Rodriguez which was way back in 1994. Crawford went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in his debut. Alvarez is a bit tougher to imagine, considering how much extra time catchers usually need to develop, but he is about as highly touted on prospect lists as any other player mentioned in this search outside of Volpe. Following the 1956 season, he pitched seven more years in the minor leagues, failing to win another chance at the big leagues. At 16 years old, Putsy made his debut for the Phillies on September 14, 1944. 35,010: 4.16: Sports: Erv Palica earned his Major League debut not too long after his seventeenth birthday on April 21, 1945. Granny Hamner, SS: 17 years, 356 days in 1945 (Phillies)Hamner debuted in September 1944, in part because many players were fighting in World War II and there were roster spots available. Unfortunately, his career also ended quickly. Since Mike Trout (hes pretty good) did it in August 2011, only six players have debuted as teenagers: Harper, Profar, Dylan Bundy, Julio Urias, Juan Soto and Elvis Luciano. Giants LHP Kyle Harrison (8/12/01)Padres OF Robert Hassell III (8/15/01)Phillies RHP Mick Abel (8/18/01)Rockies C Drew Romo (8/29/01)Giants SS Marco Luciano (9/10/01)Mariners SS Noelvi Marte (10/16/01)Athletics C Tyler Soderstrom (11/24/01)Rockies OF Zac Veen (12/12/01)Reds SS Elly De La Cruz (1/11/02)Giants OF Luis Matos (1/28/02)Red Sox 2B Nick Yorke (4/2/02)Rangers OF Evan Carter (8/29/02). At 15 years and 316 days, Joe Nuxhall was the youngest ever to debut in the majors. Inactive players are those players no longer playing in professional baseball anywhere (including the minors or internationally). The 27-year-old is coming off an outstanding 2022 campaign that saw him finish second in AL Cy Young voting. In 77 games, he hit 7 home runs and batted .215. He threw 2/3 of an inning for the Reds on June 10, 1944. Who is the youngest manager in MLB in 2023? The Astros have been as good as any organization at developing competent starting pitchers, and it sounds like both of these guys attack hitters with kitchen-sink arsenals designed to flummox rather than overwhelm hitters. He missed most of the 1952-53 seasons due to military service. There's something compelling for baseball fans about very young MLB players. He'd go on to a career as perhaps the most overlooked Hall of Fame candidate of all-time, winning three World Series, being nominated to seven all-star teams and hitting .297 over a long career, some of which was marred by his drug use. Even if Alvarez's defense behind the dish isnt fully baked by the end of this season, his bat might be too overwhelming to ignore if the Mets need an offensive boost at some point this year. The 20 Youngest MLB Players to Debut Since World War I0 of 20Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesBaseball is a young man's game. As such, this Wander fun fact seemed especially ripe for further exploration. Tommy Brown became the second youngest player to debut in the MLB when he appeared for the Brooklyn Dodgers on August 3, 1944. He pinch hit and struck out in the eighth inning of win over the Chicago White Sox. The Rays promptly traded Young to the Twins that offseason for a return headlined by Matt Garza and Jason Bartlett, beginning a trade tree that has been fruitful for the franchise for 13 years and counting. He would enjoy a solid 11-year big league career, posting a 45-65 record and a 4.88 ERA over 1,070 innings split between the rotation and bullpen. He's proven to be a perennial Cy Young candidate since shifting to . Furthermore, he also got to receive a lucrative $50,000 signing bonus. If he can stay healthy and continue to dominate to the degree he did last season (1.96 ERA, 43 hits, 108 K's in 78 IPs at two Class-A levels), its not impossible to imagine him being one of Miamis five best starters at some point in 2022. . The right-hander is best remembered for his second stint with the Rays as a key veteran in their bullpen from 2008-10. Though it was remarkable, he got torched in his lone teenage appearance and didn't set foot on a big league field for another eight years. . Over 468 career plate appearances, he hit a respectable .250. He and Whitaker are considered by many Detroit faithful as Hall of Fame snubs. Rogers McKee was a lefty hurler who was another teenager to see game action due to World War II. The 40-man rosters seemed like a good first place to search for our mystery player. Stuffy McInnis, SS: 18 years, 205 days in 1909 (Athletics)McInnis went 1-for-4 in his Major League debut on Opening Day in 1905, as his Philadelphia Athletics beat the Boston Red Sox. This surely has to do with expectation and hope - hope, specifically, for another Mickey Mantle, probably the highest profile player to debut as a teenager. Subscribe to Stathead Baseball: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Baseball Reference Database. His abilities stood up as he got older and as the player pool deepened after the war, and Nuxhall played for 16 seasons, owning the Reds record for most games pitched by a left-hander. Overall, he was 41-55 with a 4.22 ERA in his career split between starting an relieving. You can follow him on Twitter @j_shusterman_. He went 0-4 in a loss to the Detroit Tigers that day. Palica appeared in Game 5 of the 1949 World Series against the Yankees, hurling two scoreless innings of relief. He hasn't looked back since, arguably becoming one of the greatest hitters of all time. He remains the only teenager to play for the Rays. This article will cover the history of expansions and franchise moves in MLB. The 20-year-old hailed from the Dominican Republic and made his major league debut late in the season on Sept. 7, 2017. Occasionally, Scheib, who was gifted with a bat in his hands, was used as a pinch hitter and reserve outfielder, in order to take advantage of his offensive prowess. Following the 2020 World Series, Cruz became a free agent. Hamner was also a three-time NL All-Star. He never made it to the majors, but set the record for the youngest ever signed. He pitched four more seasons of minor league ball without again reaching the majors. That got us thinking: Where does he rank among the youngest Rays players ever at the time of their big league debut? Tampa Bay called up Upton and gave him his first start on Aug. 2, 2004, a 6-3 loss against Boston. A scout watching him take batting practice at the tender age of 15 remarked that he would take number one overall spot in the draft that day. D-backs SS Jordan Lawlar (7/17/02)Red Sox SS Marcelo Mayer (12/12/02)Marlins SS Kahlil Watson (4/16/03)Nationals SS Brady House (6/4/03). While his talent will never be disputed, addiction curbed much of his success in the subsequent years. Given his MLB debut on September 30, 1956, two months prior to his seventeenth birthday, Derrington hurled six innings against the Kansas City Athletics, allowing six runs on nine hits and six walks. The National Football League has been around in some form or another and stoking its fans since 1920. RHP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers (Age: 24) The No. Send a Message. He had debuted in June 1998, a few months after turning 19. Ramirez only turned 37 last month, making him the second-youngest player on this list. Tatis says shoulder, wrist '100%' in first game since '21. He finished third in AL Rookie of the Year voting with a .264/.329/.420 season and 16 home runs. All major league baseball data including pitch type, velocity, batted ball location, and play-by-play data provided . He made little impact at the big league level, earning 11 plate appearances through the end of the 1955 season, but only getting one hit, while striking out seven times. Alex Rodriguez become a free agent as a 25-year-old in the 2000-2001 offseason, and if wasn't for his recent contract extension, Felix Hernandez would have been a free agent next winter at age 25 . The career accomplishments of Foxx are staggering considering that he was essentially done with the game at age 34. Look, Ill be honest: I hadnt heard of these gentlemen when I started this exercise. the official stats partner of the NBA, NHL and MLB. He would pitch eight years with the Tigers, another five with Cleveland, and part of one with the Orioles in his final season. It's sort of hard to believe that the now-Texas Rangers third baseman, with his monstrous home runs and pet peeves about being touched on the head, got his start all the way back in 1998. Furthermore, while Jasson Dominguez is a top young prospect, his highly anticipated MLB debut will still come in 2023. Derrington easily became the youngest pitcher to start a game. Here are a few of the ballplayers who stood out the most, regardless of era, and with a little help from the rest of their careers. The 2000s (2000-Present) Since the start of the 21st century, the youngest age of any manager is 35. The No. Drafted second overall in the 2002 Draft, Upton played 130 games in the Minors in 03 and 98 in 04 before the then-Devil Rays called him up. Pagliaroni wouldn't see the big leagues again until 1960, when he stuck as a big league catcher for the next 10 seasons. It was a measly six games in 1979 and he never recorded an at-bat, but still scored three runs and stole two bases. He was 15 years and 316 days old when he made his MLB debut for the Reds. Trammell and Lou Whitaker made their big league debuts together in insanely appropriate fashion, and even though Trammell only played in 19 games and hit just .186 in that debut 1977 season, he'd go on to become a Detroit Tiger legend, winning the 1984 World Series and being named MVP. But they have to be mentioned, considering that they are two of the youngest players on Double-A rosters to start the season. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Since then, Palica would leave the MLB and return only in 1947. Just as he began his playing career at a young age, Mauch became the Phillies manager in 1960 at the age of 34. In the season-ending game, Derrington was given a chance to start for the Chicago White Sox in his MLB debut. In nine seasons, he hit .296/.337/.444 with 104 homers, 105 triples, 215 doubles, 592 RBIs and 409 stolen bases. He earned four All-Star nods (plus one All-Star Game MVP), a Silver Slugger Award and one Gold Glove before becoming a free agent after the 2010 season. Vivas, Pereira, Jimenez and Noel are all fun prospects in their own right, but they're in High-A and still a ways away. Total Zone Rating and initial framework for Wins above Replacement calculations provided by Sean Smith. He'd go on to make 13 All-Star teams and win an MVP Award, 10 Gold Gloves and seven Silver Sluggers. McInnis would go on to be a four-time World Series champion, winning two with the Athletics (1911 and 1913) and one each with the Red Sox (1918) and Pirates (1925). Young players reign supreme in baseball. Young finished second in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting in '07, when he hit .288 with 93 RBIs in 162 games. Erv Palica also made his MLB debut at 17 years old when he played for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945. Taillon's exhibition debut in a Cubs uniform was a mixed bag. In Monday's split-squad start against the Cleveland Guardians, Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon quickly learned how far a baseball travels in the dry Arizona air. Gavin Lux's torn ACL deals major blow to Dodgers; what are their options? Well, Franco is not only younger than every other player in the big leagues, but he's also younger than all the players in Triple-A. Brooks Robinson, 3B: 19 years, 332 days in 1957 (Orioles)The Hall of Famer debuted in September 1955 as an 18-year-old, but started his first Opening Day in 1957 before turning 20 in May. Average Age Mlb Debut. Still, it's worth noting that in his initial season he hit zero home runs, and didn't hit into the double digits until he was 23. All Rights Reserved. But his 13-year career in the Majors began as a 21-year-old starter for the Devil Rays a little more than three years after he was drafted in the 34th round. Tony Conigliaro, CF: 19 years, 100 days in 1964 (Red Sox)A teenage Conigliaro made his Major League debut for the Red Sox on Opening Day in 1964. Baseball is a young man's game. He posted a 3.46 ERA with 161 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings over 149 outings with the Rays before being traded to the Phillies on Dec. 29. But in the 96 games he played that season, he hit .267 with 13 home runs, starting a career that would see him become one of the most beloved Yankees ever with a rookie season that rivals many of those on this list of youngsters. Saturday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis could go a long way in determining the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Mauch played in five games that season and did not return to the Majors until 1947 as a 21-year-old. He also wound up becoming a beloved broadcaster for the club before his death in 2007. He also fielded three chances and an error. Gone are the days of 40-year-old MVPs and late career renaissances that seemed so prevalent in the last two decades of Major League Baseball. Some defensive statistics Copyright Sports Info Solutions, 2010-2023. For the Philadelphia Phillies, McKee appeared only in five games. He resumed his professional baseball career upon his return in 1947. Tatis is the eighth-youngest position player to start on Opening Day in the last 50 seasons -- six individuals did so, including Robin Yount twice.
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